Member Reviews
Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. I found it full of twists and turns threw out and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way threw I would defiantly recommend this book if you like a good book to keep you reading threw the night hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did
Elizabeth Naughton is an author that I found on NetGalley. There is a twist in every novel and it's always shocking. I can't wait to read every single one of her books.
Wow I haven’t read a story with this much emotional turmoil and drama in a very long time and truly found myself in tears several times—you can literally feel this couple’s heartache as they each try to find a way to deal with the loss of not only their child but their marriage. This second installment of the Deadly Secrets series took an unexpected turn from the very beginning. We knew from book one that Alec, Ethan’s brother (Repressed), was dealing with some serious shit and that he was having a very hard time coping, but we never imagined he was going through something this difficult. Elisabeth has this terrifying skill of taking her readers deep into the psyche of her characters, both good and bad, and pulling the reader into their hearts and stories until you feel like you are living their lives along with them. Despite the heart-wrenching emotions in this story, I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and I’m definitely looking forward to the next one in the series. Alec and Raegan are dealing with the kidnapping, and possible murder, of their daughter Emma, in the best way they know how, which for Alec meant pushing Raegan out of his life. But now that they are thrown together again Alec finds that he can’t resist her pull any longer, especially when Raegan is determined to follow a story she hopes will lead to their missing daughter and that he knows could cost her life. Together they work to uncover the truth behind a string of mysterious kidnappings of local children and the more time they spend together, the harder they find it to resist the passion that still burns in both their bellies and the love that never died in their hearts. I am always a huge proponent of second chances at love and this story has so many twists and turns incorporated that I couldn’t stop reading, even though I knew I needed sleep before going to work the next day! Alec was a good guy through and through, with a lot of past traumas and fears about his future because of his parentage, even though he tries to believe he was saved by the McClanes in time to nip the criminal instincts in the bud. He never stopped loving his wife, but someone had to slap him hard enough to get him to understand that pushing Raegan away to keep her safe is never the best choice for anyone. Raegan is one of those women that could be easily written off as shallow and TSTL, but truly she is just holding on to hope with the very tips of her fingers and trying to hold it together all on her own. She lost the two most important people in her life, almost at the same time, and is still floundering as she tries to live long enough to at least get one of them back. She continues to believe she will get her daughter back, even if she thinks she has lost Alec forever, but she is also as determined as a bloodhound when she catches wind of a story that could lead her to Emma. Once you dug past that shell she put around herself for protection, you see how great of a character she is and I found her to be the perfect match for Alec. The passion between these two is apparent even as they are fighting and trying to keep one another at a safe distance, and that obvious pull becomes more and more flagrant as they are forced into tense and life-threatening situations. In the end I can honestly say these two earned every second of their HEA and I cannot wait to see more of it in future stories. Excellent work Ms. Naughton.
Right off the bat I felt like the characters were very two dimensional as there was a lot of telling the readers about their past rather than showing it. Having the characters tell their past doesn't allow the readers to fully engage in them or be as invested causing some of the drama that unfolds in the plot to fall flat.
Not all the emotional plot points fell flat though there were that did make me tear up thinking about the repercussions but that had more to do with the situation rather than the characters themselves. Anybody with a heart would cry imagining if their child was abducted and there was no news whatsoever.
Now that I think about it the male protagonist, Alec McClane, was seriously annoying. It was always about how he couldn't handle the disappearance of his child , how he is still in pain, how he goes into shock and how he had the really shitty upbringing. Well BOO HOO! What about his wife? Did she not feel the pain of losing her child too? It's not all about you sometimes okay Alec. It takes two to tango in a relationship like God! That guy got on my nerves. I don't give a damn how hot you are, please have some heart and think about the other person who is also hurting by this horrific incident.
Plot wise, I felt that the pacing of the book was fast paced which I liked because I just went through the book in one night but I felt really confused as to the genre of the book but this I should have read the blurb or something first so my bad hahahah.
When I chose this those many moons ago, I thought it was going to be a nice thriller mystery type of book with a dash of romance and reading it now it read more like a romance with a dash of thriller and mystery although had I read the blurb I would've seen that it was a romance heavy book. I wish the sex scenes were more explicit because man I have not had any action in awhile and your girl is THIRSTY!
Oh! Before I forget (this links back to the plot thing), the execution of the plot twist and the reveal seriously fell flat for me. The plot twist and the reveal at the end I felt was great. It's very predictable yes but it could have been better had the execution of it been great. These two things could've been improved had there been more breathing room for the readers to digest everything, all these revelations were revealed at super speed and the pacing just went off the charts from there and due to that the emotional punch that the author wanted to portray lost its zest
I have been reading this book alongside another. But this book broke through my reading scale more and more as I wanted to continue it, I needed to know the next event.
I hadn’t read book 1, and you know what, not once did I lose my way.
Tragedy can either bring you close together or if not careful, can push you far apart.
That’s what happened with this couple.
Their daughter had disappeared and couldn’t be found. Kidnapped.
Three years later a sighting of who appears to be their daughter......
This is a well crafted book that leads down many a mysterious path.
Montlake Romance and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Gone. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Three years ago, Alec and Raegan were forced to endure a parent's worse nightmare. With Alec's back turned for only a second to help another child, their one year old daughter Emma was snatched. Alec's father, John Gilbert, had a reason to want revenge, as Alec's testimony sent his dad to prison. When another girl is found in the same place that Emma went missing, will the police be able to gather enough evidence to reopen Emma's case? Will Alec and his now ex-wife be able to put together the pieces of their shattered hearts?
Gone was a little too straightforward to be a real mystery, but this romantic suspense did hit some high points for me. The author does a good job of characterization, giving the book a sense of realism. The story is one that many parents will be able to relate to, as the scenario is one of a parent's worse nightmares. Although the ending was too predictable, the novel had a good pace and smooth flow. Readers who like romantic suspense will like Gone and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
Alec wishes he and his old friend Jim Beam were on speaking terms but hadn’t been for close to three years. Alec was at the hospital and he felt pressure forming in his chest- a pressure he knew was rooted in guilt and self disgust. Alec knew he should have called Reagan the minute he seen the girl and told reagan not to come. An FBI agent -Jack Bukham worked Emma’s case. He was the one I called both him and Reagan when the fourteen year old in the other room had been found not far from the one where Emma-Alec’s and Reagan’s daughter- had vanished three and one half years ago.- vanished. Alec had turned his back for two minutes to help a kid who had fallen off a swings. Alec thought of a neglected filthy childhood. When Jack mentioned his father- John Gibson- who was in prison who knocked his kids around, make them fend for themselves or use then as mules to move illegal stuff. Alec knew his father was out for him because it was Alec’s testimony as a teen that had put Gilbert in prison for fourteen years. And he will be out on the streets again soon. When Gilbert had been cuffed he screamed he would make Alec pay. Alec had paid everyday since that awful day in the park. Gilbert had gotten out of prison less than a month before Emma went missing. Alec knew Gilbert had been there , that he had taken Emma in his sadistic need for revenge, just as Alec knew Gilbert had killed Emma as soon as he got her away. Alec had just never been able to prove it. Reagan was the love of Alec’s life but they were no longer together. Reagan still clung to the hope Emma was still alive, a hope that would only torment her for the rest of her life. Reagan and Alec had been divorced almost three years but Reagan's body still reacted to Alec , even just seeing him brought her body alive. But this was the Alec who had told her their marriage had been a mistake , the man who had shattered her heart and left her alone and broken when she’d needed him most. Reagan hated that she still loved Alec. hated that she wanted to comfort him, and hated especially even after all the misery, heartache, and time a part that he was still the one. Alec was a photojournalist - the best Reagan had ever seen. Alec had a way of capturing the human element in crisis that made a person see conflict from a completely different perspective. It was one of the reasons Reagan had been so drawn to Alec when they had met six years ago. Reagan had been a new beat reporter covering a colorful election. Reagan was now seeing Jeremy who was the manager of KTVP , Jeremy was also Reagan’s boss. Reagan talks Alec into helping to investigate the disappearance of other children and how they may be related to Emma. Then Alec and Reagan find a lot of patterns.
I really enjoyed reading this book a lot. I had no problem with my attention wondering while I was reading this book. It was a quick and intriguing read. I advise you to read the book in this series in order for better understanding and for the book to flow soothingly as you read. I loved the twists and turns. I really liked the plot and pace of this book. I will be looking for more books from this author. I felt this book was an emotional roller coaster I loved the characters and the twists and turns of this book and I recommend.
Who doesn’t love a romantic suspense?! Exellently plotted with plenty of action and a great spark between the main characters.
Alec and Reagan’s one year old child was abducted three & a half years before. Both deal with the horror in each their own way. Alec dove straight into a bottle, convinced their daughter was dead and believing his father had something to do with his daughter’s disappearance. Reagan holds onto hope that their daughter, Emma is alive and will one day be found. The abduction rips them apart & they divorce.
When a four year old girl, matching their daughters description, is found wandering in a park Alec and Reagan are thrown together again to try and make an identification. Both are heartbroken that it is not their child. Emma has been researching missing children since her daughter’s disappearance. Now she has found a pattern of missing children that she thinks could be connected to their daughter’s case. She wants & needs Alec to help her.
I loved this book. It’s a brilliant, well written book!! It is quite easy to sympathize with Alec & Regan.
I never read the first book of this series, but that didn't matter. It did not take away the enjoyment of this book and i couldn't turn the pages fast enough. So much suspense! As always, i do refrain from writing what the story is about, as i would only be repeating much of which others have written. Plus i do not wish to spoil for others. I can highly recommend.
I am very late in reading this book, but i do thank the author and the Publishers. This is my honest review.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this great novel. It starts off on a very heartsore note with Alec and Reagan losing their precious little daughter and the effect is has on them, and their families. It was an emotional read, and recommended.
WOW! This book had me hooked from the beginning. Although I did not read the first book in the series, this book definitely make me want to change that. Three years ago Alec and Raegan’s one year old daughter was abducted during Alec’s watch. The grief of that loss tore the couple apart. A false sighting sends the couple on a search for what happened to their child and also brings them closer together. The writing style and characters were both what made this story entertaining,
Gone is the 2nd book in the Deadly Secrets series but can be read as a stand-alone. I did not read the first book in the series and I do not feel like I am missing out on anything.
Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux lived every parent’s worst nightmare: their one-year-old daughter, Emma, was abducted from a park when Alec turned his back for just a moment. Consumed with guilt, Alec turned to the bottle instead of being there for his wife for support. Raegan believes Emma is still alive but Alec suspects his vengeful father is behind the disappearance and his daughter is dead. Three years later, a four-year-old girl matching Emma’s profile is found wandering a local park. Alec and Raegan are heartbroken to discover she’s not their daughter. Now divorced and sober, Alec and Raegan team up together to look at other missing kids cases. The love they have for each other is still there but will Alec's guilt push Raeagan away and put him over the edge again?
I loved this book. It was filled with heartbreak, suspense, romance, and hope. This book pulls at your heartstring. Having your child abducted when you turn your back for one second is every parent's worst nightmare. The guilt and the not knowing will destroy you. You feel the emotional turmoil that both Alex and Raegan endured. This book was well written with great character development. I look forward to reading the first book, Repressed.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake Romance for supplying a copy of Elisabeth Naughton's "Gone" in exchange for an honest review.
Gone is a really good romantic suspense that focuses on Alec and Raegan, whose marriage was shattered when their daughter, Emma, was abducted. Alec felt so much guilt, as he was in charge of his daughter when she was taken, that he couldn't hardly carry on. Raegan never blamed him, but she couldn't hold their marriage together alone. When a child is found and thought to possibly be Emma, the two meet again for the first time in about three years. In another heartbreak for them, the child isn't Emma, but this meeting prompts Emma to ask for Alec's help in looking into some other similar child abductions. As they begin to work together, their feelings for one another surface and they renew their relationship while trying to solve the mysteries of the multiple abductions.
I enjoyed the second chance romance between Alec and Raegan. The storyline was captivating, and kept me wondering what would happen next. I'm looking forward to more in the series!
I only read a quarter of this book, sadly I just couldn't get in to it.
Five stars Review! Ms. Naughton can be commended for this book. What an emotionally thrill ride of heart break, strength, love, and pride. I woud recommend this book.
This was a very good, quick read filled with interesting characters and alot of suspense. Even though it is the second book in the Deadly Secrets series it can definitely be read as a stand alone and will not leave you feeling like your missing anything. I have enjoyed both books in this series and highly recommend both books. I really enjoy reading books by this author and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
This was a well written Romantic Suspense novel that focuses on a mother's love for her missing child and a second chance at romance. I was pleasantly surprised that this had a happy ending and loved that the main female character was written to be such a strong likable person. I would recommend this if you enjoy Romantic Suspense novels and love a happy ending!
Your biggest fear realized and the effect it has on a marriage written in a way that made you feel as if it were happening to you.
Romance, fear and sadness and redemption the book has it all